What's the most non-intrusive way to make say... 250-300ish (crank) hp?

[corrado33 10]

I'm going to be rebuilding my 12V VR6 soon and replacing all of the consumable bits and whatnot and I want to know a few things.

 

First off, how much power can a relatively OEM+ (new suspension, etc.) corrado handle and still be comfortably drive-able? I've been in corrados with 400+ HP. I've been in corrados with 700+ HP. These were wonderful cars... but too high maintenance and too much to worry about. (Yes I know I'm exaggerating, but I want to keep the car as stock as possible... just... more power.)

 

So, what amount of power do you think is perfect for corrados? How much power would be good for someone who just want's a "faster than normal" corrado. Is it worth trying to build a NA 12V VR6? My research says they can really only get to ~200 (wheel??) HP. I've read that it takes goobles of money to get a NA 12V VR6 to ~200 HP, when in reality you could just install just about any turbo and get the same power, or much more.

 

I'm not... 100% against a turbo. But it certainly wouldn't be one of those flashy, "rearrange everything in the engine bay and cutaway half the bumper to fit a front mount" builds. Probably a smaller (than normal) turbo hidden as best as possible tuned back to ~300 hp.

 

Basically a sleeper build. I want to build a corrado that for all intents and purposes, looks stock, but is faster, more powerful, and better handling. Basically what we all wish the corrado was.

[Keyo 47]

Can make 230 at least with a Schrick VGI and 268 cams- that is the period mod to raise power= however your issue will be obtaining a Schrick or a VSR manifold, Schrick 268 cams are ready available.

 

For higher gains Supercharger or Turbo. Will need to go to OB2 really for this

[fendervg 32]

You will spend a lot of money trying to get a NA 12v VR6 up to 220-230, an you won't get any more really.

 

All the smart money goes on forced induction if you are looking for more power - but you'll also need to budget for things like bigger brakes and wheels to go over them, suspension, LSD etc. so it all adds up. I'd say 280 to 320 would be a good result, but everyone has their own preferences and you need to make sure it all works well together.

 

Or you could just accept the car for what it was intended to be and be happy with about 200!

[seanl82 23]

Not a lot you can do when upgrading internals aside from cams, oversized bores and compression tweeks, but that won't offer much more than 220 bhp in all honesty. Superchargers offer the best bang for buck gains. As mentioned, turbo would bring a whole host of additional modifications where space is already tight, though they could offer significantly more power but internals need to be upgraded also. Shrick/VSR and cams just don't offer value for money in my opinion. You can buy good supercharger kits for the same price utilising stock internals, and get 3-4 times the gains. The engine bay appearance will obviously change, and you'll lose the VR noise - though gain the supercharger whine which is kind of marmite.

[1xshaunx1 27]

To get more power worth the money spent will alter how your bay looks full stop. With any modifications there will compromises, it depends what you are happy with. The schrik has to come to off to change the plugs, a supercharger worth having makes a whine that did my nut in, a turbo’d engine needs more thought about cooling depending on your turbo type. Even if you fix all that up to how you want it something else will break or pack in cause they is old, you have to expect issues, if you replace or refurbish everything and leave it standard it’s still not finished forever. You are just in between issues.

[corrado33 10]

Can make 230 at least with a Schrick VGI and 268 cams- that is the period mod to raise power= however your issue will be obtaining a Schrick or a VSR manifold, Schrick 268 cams are ready available.

 

For higher gains Supercharger or Turbo. Will need to go to OB2 really for this

 

Car is already OBD2. We did that a couple years after I bought the car. In a crazy weekend my brother (the mechanic) pulled apart 3 VR6s and made 2 working OBD2 corrados and one random parts engine. He then drove 6 hours home the next day (in one of the cars he pieced together) with the front bumper literally strapped to the roof of his car. Fun times. I've read that it's not worth trying to find the Schrick VGI and the stock manifold is already pretty good? Or too complicated to replicate, I forget which.

 

You will spend a lot of money trying to get a NA 12v VR6 up to 220-230, an you won't get any more really.

 

All the smart money goes on forced induction if you are looking for more power - but you'll also need to budget for things like bigger brakes and wheels to go over them, suspension, LSD etc. so it all adds up. I'd say 280 to 320 would be a good result, but everyone has their own preferences and you need to make sure it all works well together.

 

Or you could just accept the car for what it was intended to be and be happy with about 200!

 

Eh, personally I think the car is just a tiny bit too slow stock. Maybe... maybe if the car had come with 225 HP stock it would be good enough to be left alone, but it's just not... "fast enough" to be anything special. That said, its stats say otherwise, but in the modern day, it's nothing more than a slightly quick go-cart when compared to modern equivalents. The car already has some of the mods you mention. The car has monte carlo rims and good coilovers. Corrado brakes are already pretty good for the size of the car, and I'm unsure if I'd want to change them.

 

and you'll lose the VR noise

 

Unacceptable. No but really one of the best parts about that engine is the noise. I'd rather go turbo if it meant keeping the noise relatively unchanged even if it resulted in a slightly more modified engine bay.

 

The schrik has to come to off to change the plugs, a supercharger worth having makes a whine that did my nut in, a turbo’d engine needs more thought about cooling depending on your turbo type. Even if you fix all that up to how you want it something else will break or pack in cause they is old, you have to expect issues, if you replace or refurbish everything and leave it standard it’s still not finished forever. You are just in between issues.

 

My corrado has been... surprisingly problem free over the last 18 years, barring wires eventually shorting out for interior things. Nothing has really gone wrong with the drivetrain at all. The car starts and runs easily and doesn't overheat at all. I've been told that my VR6 is "one of the good ones" because of how cool it runs. Even sitting in 100+ degree traffic the car never gets to 230 on the gauge. However, when I refurbish everything, I plan on either A. reinstalling the normal temp thermostat, or B. coming up with some sort of electronically controller "shutter" system to block airflow to the rad so that the car can be allowed to heat when driving on the highway or in cool weather, but still have the additional cooling capacity offered by the lower temp thermostat when needed. (Yes I know that's not how it works, but it does help.) I'll probably just go with solution A, but it depends on what I do with everything else, plus B would block airflow to the condenser as well, and I want to get the AC working again.